The Dutch city Utrecht will become the first in Europe to launch a large-scale car-sharing service using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.
The city has joined forces with French car manufacturer Renault Group and We run on solar energya Netherlands-based supplier of smart charging solutions, to realize the initiative.
Renault Group will supply 500 of its Renault 5 electric vehicles equipped with V2G bi-directional charging technology developed by Mobilize, the Renault Group brand dedicated to new mobility.
The technology will allow users to charge their vehicles with clean energy and feed energy back into the grid during high demand, helping to reduce electricity costs and stabilize networks during peak demand.
We Drive Solar will supply and operate bi-directional public AC charging stations to support the V2G access toolkit, while MyWheels, the leading car sharing platform in the Netherlands, will operate the fleet.
The agreement marks the first time that V2G technology will be used for public infrastructure. According to a press release from We Drive Solar, 500 bi-directional cars could provide 10% of the flexibility needed in the Utrecht region to balance solar and wind energy for use during peak hours.
According to figures from We Drive Solar, Utrecht is already one of the most advanced European cities in the field of sustainable energy. More than a third (35%) of the roofs are equipped with solar panels.
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